Chair with torso support system

ABSTRACT

A furniture article having an integral torso support system includes a chair having a seat portion and a backrest portion. Two belt members are permanently attached to the chair&#39;s backrest portion and extend therefrom to free ends. Coupling elements are attached to the free ends to provide for connection between the belt members. With this cooperation of structure, the coupling elements can be engaged to configure the belt segment and the belt portion as the support system for restraining the torso of a person sitting on the seat portion of the chair as the person leans forward in a direction away from the backrest portion of the chair.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.10/681,453 filed Oct. 7, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,098. The contentsof application Ser. No. 10/681,453 are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains generally to support devices for seatedpersons. More particularly, the present invention pertains to devicesfor restraining a seated person while the person is leaning forward. Thepresent invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful as achair having an integral torso support system for supporting a seatedperson leaning forward from the backrest portion of the chair.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new and unique chair mounted lumbar and trapezius support systemhas been designed by a dentist who has suffered with back problems foryears due to the many hours in the position of leaning and twisting overpatients while doing precise and delicate work on their teeth. Holdingup the arms for prolonged periods of time in this position createsfurther stress and tension on the upper back, shoulders and neckresulting in stinging pains in those areas. Conventional armrests onchairs often bump the patients in the head when the chair is moved tooclose and when you twist your body and lean, the armrest is no longerfunctional.

A technical definition of the muscles of the spine consists of themuscles of the spine covered by more-superficial back muscles, such asthe trapezius and latissimus dorsi. The spinal extensors, or erectorspinae, include superficial and deep layers. The relatively superficiallayer can be divided into spinalis, longissimus, and iliocostalisdivisions. In the lower lumbar and sacral regions, the boundary betweenthe longissimus and iliocostalis muscles becomes indistinct, and theyare sometimes known as the sacrospinalis muscles. When contractingtogether, the erector spinae extend the spinal column. When the muscleson only one side contract, the spine is bent laterally.

The spinalis muscles of the spine interconnect and stabilize thevertebrae. These muscles include the semispinalis muscles and themultifidus, interspinales, intertransversarii, and rotators. In variouscombinations, they produce slight extension or rotation of the spinalcolumn. They are also important in making delicate adjustments in thepositions of individual vertebrae, and they stabilize adjacentvertebrae. If injured or strained, these muscles can start a cycle ofpain, muscle stimulation and contractions in the lower back. This cyclecan lead to pressure on adjacent spinal nerves leading to sensory lossesas well as limiting mobility.

The large, superficial trapezius muscles cover the back and portions ofthe neck, reaching to the base of the skull. These muscles originatealong the midline of the neck and back and insert on the clavicles andthe scapular spines. The trapezius muscles are enervated by more thanone nerve and specific regions can be made to contract independently. Asa result, their actions are quite varied. The trapezius action dependson the active region and state of other muscles. They may elevate,retract, depress, or rotate scapula upward, elevate clavicle and alsoextend head and neck. In like manner, if injured or strained, thesemuscles can start a cycle of pain, muscle stimulation and contractionsin the neck and shoulders.

Many of the warm-up and stretching exercises recommended before athleticevents are intended to prepare these very important muscles for theirsupporting role, but in many cases individuals are not in the positionnor have the time to perform these vital exercises prior to working inthese positions for a long period of time.

Originally invented for dentists, this inventor has found that this newand unique device has many additional uses in related fields wherephysicians and surgeons are required to work over patients for prolongedperiods of time. Additional fields where the device will find a greatdeal of use will include the support of the handicapped in a sittingposition.

In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a furniture article having an integral torso support system. Itis another object of the present invention to provide systems andmethods for supporting the torso of a seated person. Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide systems and methods for supportinga person leaning forward from a chair. Still another object of thepresent invention is to provide a furniture article with a retractabletorso support system. Yet another object of the present invention is toprovide a furniture article with a torso support system which is easy touse, relatively simple to implement, and comparatively cost effective.

REFERENCES CITED

U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,906 of David W. Harrold describes a back supportbelt having inflatable bladder members mounted on the inner surface ofthe belt to engage and support the lower back. A pump is furtherprovided for inflating and deflating the bladder. The pump is integrallyattached to the belt and includes a valve operable to permit inflationand deflation of the bladder and a conduit for fluid communicationbetween die pump, valve and the bladder.

This back support belt is to be used by an active person, not anindividual in a sitting position, and having no attachment to the chair,it would not relieve the stress incurred when leaning forward in asitting position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,601 of Robert R. Harlow teaches of a lower backsupport device for use in applying force to the lumbar vertebrae of thehuman spinal column. The device has a support plate attached to a pairof inner bands for encircling the wearers' body to position the supportplate. It also has a one-piece outer band which fastens to its outsideof the inner band to pass the plate toward the back of the wearer.

This is another back support belt that is to be used by an activeperson, not an individual in a sitting position, and having noattachment to the chair, it would not relieve the stress incurred whenleaning forward in a sitting position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,498 of George W. Watson discloses an elongatedsemi-flexible woven lumbar support belt that has a wide central supportportion and a pair of inter-connectable opposite end portions which aresignificantly narrower than the central support portion. The centralsupport portion is formed from webbing having a plurality of warpstrands interwoven with a plurality of weft strands. The warp and weftstrands, respectively, are fixedly attached to each other at angularjunctions such that the stiffness of the webbing is greater than if thestrands were not fixedly attached with each other at the angularjunctions. The warp strands are spaced apart from each other and theweft strands likewise are spaced apart from each other to provideventilation through the webbing.

This is still another back support belt to be used by an active person,not an individual in a sitting position, and having no attachment to thechair, it would not relieve the stress incurred when leaning forward ina sitting position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,620 of Joshua Danzger additionally describes a backsupport belt comprising a primary support belt including fasteners forfastening the same, generally at the frontal area of the waist of thewearer. A secondary tensioning belt comprising fasteners for fasteningthe same around the primary support belt generally at the frontal areaof the waist of the wearer is provided. It includes back support beltcolor tensioning indicators on the secondary tensioning belt which arevisible only from the rear and side areas of the waist of the wearer,and thus not by the wearer, and which are operable to indicate both whenthe back support belt is properly tensioned around the waist of thewearer and when the back support belt is not properly tensioned aroundthe waist of the wearer. The back support belt color tensioningindicators are operable to indicate proper and improper tensioning ofthe support belt independently of the relationship between the size ofthe support belt and the waist size of the wearer to thus be virtuallyfoolproof.

This is still another back support belt that is to be used by an activeperson and not an individual in a sitting position, and having noattachment to the chair, it would not relieve the stress incurred whenleaning forward in a sitting position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,383 of Randall J. Laco tells of a device forretaining the user in a substantially upright position when seated in achair. The device consists of a bracket attached to the back of thechair having two distal ends extending laterally outward from the backsupport portion of the chair. Attached to these distal ends is anadjustable, padded strap that supports the abdomen of the person seatedin the chair to prevent them from slouching or leaning forward. Thestrap extends perpendicular to the rear strut or frame of the chair tohold the user firmly in an upright position.

This invention is intended to support an individual in an uprightposition by means of a padded strap that supports the abdomen. Thisdevice does not allow the individual to lean forward and does not supplyany form of adjustable elbow supports.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,606 of John C. Castell et al. describes a back bracefor supporting the back of a wearer of the brace for preventing injuriesand reinforcing proper lifting mechanics during lifting activities.

This is still another back support belt that is to be used by an activeperson, not an individual in a sitting position, and having noattachment to the chair, it would not relieve the stress incurred whenleaning forward in a sitting position.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,530 of Harry Fisher et al. discloses a device forlumbar support for an office chair having a seatback including aseatback frame and a membrane stretched over the seatback frame. Thedevice can be arranged behind the membrane and can be housed in theseatback frame to provide vertical and horizontal adjustment independentof the membrane. Preferably, the device includes a central part havingtwo comparably rigid carrier elements connected to each other via anelastic element arranged there between the rigid carrier elements eachincluding a guide track that can be arranged in the seatback frame toprovide the vertical adjustment. A front pad includes a cushion attachedto an upholstery plate, the upholstery plate facing the membrane. A rearpart includes a plastic plate. The cushion and the plastic plate areconnected via a clip connection, and the clip connection is guided inslots of the carrier elements.

Although this device deals with the backrest of a conventional officechair and aids in the support of the lumbar area of the back, itspurpose is achieved when the individual using the chair leans backagainst the backrest. It gives no support when leaning forward and doesnot offer the unique adjustable elbow rests.

Consequently there exists a need for an apparatus which will support andrelieve the stress of an individual leaning forward in a chair for aprolonged period of time. None of the foregoing prior art teaches orsuggests the particular, unique features of the chair mounted lumbar andtrapezius support system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangement of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The scope of the invention is capable ofother embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in variousways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

The preferred embodiment of this invention consists of a chair mountedlumbar and trapezius support system that is attached to the chair restby the means of one or more mounting straps. The preferred embodiment orsimplest version of the chair mounted lumbar and trapezius supportsystem will have adjustable elbow rests attached to the support belt.The support belt structure is composed of a central reinforced backelement held rigidly to the chair backrest. The left side element andright side element consist of semi-flexible material with substantialpadding and conventional hook fastening surface and loop fasteningsurface in the front. The shape of the support belt structure can bestraight on both edges or can be relieved in the area of theindividual's thighs. Common plastic supporting stays may run in ahorizontal direction or in a vertical direction within the supportivestructure to maintain the basic shape of the device. The configurationof the adjustable elbow rests will vary from the angular design shown inthe drawings to other convenient shapes including square. The adjustableelbow rests move up and down, along with making angular adjustments sothe individual has a stable resting platform for their elbows whiledoing delicate work while still giving a broad range of arm movement.The elbow rests relieve the stress on the trapezius muscles of the backand shoulders incurred when holding the arms up and doing precise anddelicate work for a prolonged period of time.

A second alternate embodiment of the chair mounted lumbar and trapeziussupport system will have shoulder straps to relieve the pressure exertedon the adjustable elbow rests.

A third alternate embodiment of the chair mounted lumbar and trapeziussupport system will have an added torso support unit. The device willconsist of a support belt structure having the central reinforced backelement held to the chair backrest with a left side element and a rightside element. The left side element and right side element consist of asemi-flexible material with substantial padding and a conventional hookfastening surface on the inside of each distal protruding end. Theaddition of the torso support unit allows for a greater adjustment ofwaist sizes of the individuals using the device. The torso support unitconsists of a belt clasping at the back by the means of a side squeezebuckle. The frontal section of the torso support unit is comprised of atorso support with an elastic insert in the central lower section torelieve excessive pressure in the area of the groin while retaining thesupport in the area of the upper abdomen and rib cage. The torso supportunit will have a loop fastening means on either side to match thehook-fastening surface on the insides of the left side element and theright side element. The adjustable elbow rests will attach to the sidesof the left side element and the right side element as they do in theother embodiments of the chair mounted lumbar and trapezius supportsystem.

An alternate embodiment of the adjustable elbow rest will pivotoutwardly from the back. This alternate embodiment of the adjustableelbow rest has a mounting plate with a loop fastening surface on theback and the rest member pivoting outwardly from the back edge of themounting plate by the means of the hinge mechanism. The left side of theadjustable elbow rest will be a mirror image of the right side. Thehinge mechanism could be at the front of the adjustable elbow restallowing the adjustable elbow rest to pivot from the front, or therecould be a double hinge mechanism pivoting from both the front and back.

All the embodiments of the chair mounted lumbar and trapezius supportsystem may be configured with a flexible support member between thechair backrest mounting straps and the support belt structure to give acushioned resistance while giving a greater forward leaning mobility.Noticeably in this configuration the adjustable armrests stay in a fixedrelationship to the torso of the individual.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying outthe several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstruction insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a furniture articlehaving an integral torso support system is provided. In this embodiment,the furniture article includes a chair having a seat portion and abackrest portion. Further, the furniture article includes two flexiblebelt members that are mounted to the chair. Specifically, one end ofeach belt member is permanently attached to the chair's backrestportion. From the end fixed to the backrest portion, each belt memberextends to a free end. Reciprocal coupling elements are attached to eachbelt member's free end. For example, a plurality of hooks can bepositioned on the free end of one belt member for interaction with aplurality of loops that are attached to the free end of the other beltmember. With this cooperation of structure, the coupling elements can beengaged to configure the belt members as a support for restraining thetorso of a person while sitting on the seat portion of the chair as theperson leans forward in a direction away from the backrest portion ofthe chair. Specifically, the belt members cross at or under the rib cageof the seated person to act as a torso support.

In one implementation of the invention, the belt members are sewn ontothe backrest portion of the chair. In another implementation of theinvention, the belt members are connected to devices that retract thebelt members into the backrest portion. Structurally, these retractingdevices include capstans that are rotatably mounted within the backrestportion. An end of each belt member is fixed on the capstans so thatrotation of the capstan causes the belt members to be retracted. Withthis arrangement, the belt members can be retracted into the backrestwhen not in use. When needed, the free ends of the belt members can bepulled to unwind the belt members from the retracting devices to extendfrom the backrest portion of the chair.

THE OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION ARE

The object of this invention is to create a means to support the back ofan individual with relation to the backrest of the chair.

Another object of this invention is to create a means to support theback of an individual required to lean directly forward, or lean forwardand twist his body while sitting in a chair.

Another object of this invention is to create a means to support anindividual leaning forward in a chair with a uniform pressure over hisabdominal muscles and rib cage.

Another object of this invention is to create adjustable elbow restsrather than armrests to allow full movement of the arms while relievingthe neck and shoulder strain of holding the arms up and doing delicatework in this position for prolonged periods of time.

Yet another object of this invention is to create a means to attachadjustable elbow rests that stay in position relative to the body whenan individual is required to twist or move his upper torso.

A further object of this invention is to create a chair mounted lumbarand trapezius support system that will fit any waist size of theindividual using it and still give adequate support.

Even still another object of this invention is to create a chair mountedlumbar and trapezius support system that can be incorporated as anintegral part of the backrests of conventional office chairs.

A final object of this invention is to create a chair mounted lumbar andtrapezius support system that can be used not only by doctors anddentists but equally well by the handicapped or anyone required to leanforward in a chair for prolonged periods and requiring some support atthe elbows.

These together with other objects and advantages which becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more important featuresof the invention in order that the detailed description thereof thatfollows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additionalfeatures of the invention that will be described hereinafter and whichwill form the subject matter and scope of the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself,both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood fromthe accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdescription, in which similar reference characters refer to similarparts, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of an individual sitting in aconventional office style chair leaning forward and twisting his uppertorso using the chair mounted lumbar and trapezius support system withadjustable elbow rests;

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the preferred embodiment orsimplest version of the chair mounted lumbar and trapezius supportsystem with adjustable elbow rests exploded to the sides;

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of thechair mounted lumbar and trapezius support system with the addedshoulder straps;

FIG. 4 depicts a flat pattern layout of the preferred embodiment of thechair mounted lumbar and trapezius support system;

FIG. 5 depicts a flat pattern layout of a second alternate embodiment ofthe chair mounted lumbar and trapezius support system relieved on bothsides in the area of the thighs;

FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of a third alternate embodiment of thechair mounted lumbar and trapezius support system with the added torsosupport unit and the adjustable elbow rests exploded to the sides;

FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of theadjustable elbow rests that will pivot outwardly;

FIG. 8 depicts a side elevation of an individual sitting in aconventional office chair leaning forward with a flexible supportbetween the chair and the preferred embodiment of the chair mountedlumbar and trapezius support system;

FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of an additional preferred embodimentof the disclosed device featuring a support plate to provide abdominalsupport;

FIG. 10 is a top view of the support plate;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the support plate;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the support plate showing a curved detent andslots as a means of attachment to the support belt;

FIG. 13 is a smaller embodiment of the support plate;

FIG. 14 depicts an additional preferred embodiment of the elbow supportmeans which swivels to adjust for user positioning;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventionin which a furniture article is shown including an integral torsosupport system; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventionin which a furniture article is shown including an integral torsosupport system that includes retractable belt members, with internalfeatures shown in dashed lines for purposes of clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings of FIGS. 1–14, wherein similar parts ofthe invention are identified by like reference numerals, there is seenin FIG. 1 a perspective view of the disclosed device 10 in a firstpreferred embodiment of a system 10A for back support showing anindividual 12 sitting in a conventional office style chair 14 leaningforward and twisting his upper torso 16 using the system 10A for chairmounted back support which as noted above is especially supportive ofthe lumbar and trapezius areas of the body. Also shown is the adjustableelbow rests 18A attached to the backrest 20. However, the device 10 is asubstantial improvement in providing support to leaning workers withoutthe elbow rest 18A and though it would provide great utility andimprovement in such support of leaning individuals 12 such as doctorsand dentists, it functions best with it by allowing a support for theelbow giving the occupant a much steadier hand during proceduresrequiring dexterity.

In the preferred embodiment of the device 10 shown the chair mountedlumbar and trapezius support system 10A is attached to the chairbackrest 20 by the means of attachment communicating between the chairand the support belt structure 26A which as shown features one or aplurality of mounting straps 22 secured to or around the chair 14. Themeans of attachment to the chair whether it be mounting straps 22 orsome other means of attachment, can either be permanent or allow foreasy attachment and removal and adjustment of the support belt 26. Incases where the user moves from office to office and chair to chair, itis envisioned that the user would wear the support belt 26 continuallyand attach it to different chairs 14 in different locations using aseparable fastener such as buckle 24 which separates into two halveswith the buckle 24 engaging any of a plurality of buckles 24 attached todifferent chairs 14. This would allow the user to secure the supportbelt 26 on their person and then easily move from chair to chair with asimple engagement of the buckle 24 to the chair 14 at each stop. Asdepicted in FIG. 1, straps 22 are attached at their distal ends using ameans for fastening such as the depicted side squeeze buckles 24 for asemi-permanent attachment to the chair 14 so that multiple users coulduse the same support belt 26 attached to an individual chair 14. Ofcourse those skilled in the art will realize that numerous means ofattachment of the different embodiments of the support system 10 hereindescribed could be used as long as the support system is secured to thechair 14 during use which provides support against the leaningindividual 12, and any such permanent, semi-permanent, or removablemeans of attachment of the support belt 26 to the chair 14 for thedesired permanent or temporary mount is anticipated.

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment andsimplest version of the chair mounted support system 10A with one or aplurality of adjustable elbow rests 18A exploded to the sides. Thesupport belt structure 26A is composed of a central reinforced backelement 27 that is held adjacent to the chair backrest 20 using a meansof attachment thereto. The left side element 28 and right side element30 consist of a semi-flexible material with substantial padding 31 and ameans of adjustable attachment of the distal ends of the left sideelement 28 to the right side element 30 shown as conventional hookfastening surface 32 which engages loop fastening surface 34 in thefront. Should extra support be desired, plastic supporting stays 33 mayrun in a horizontal direction or in vertical direction within pockets 35formed in the support belt structure 26A. These stays 33 might be sewnin permanently or could be optionally provided in a kit of stays 33 tobe inserted by the user if desired.

As noted, the elbow rests 18 can be provided at one or both sides toprovide support to the elbow and thus the arms of the user during use.The configuration of the adjustable elbow rests 18A and 18B may varyfrom the angular design shown in the drawings to other shapes includingsquare and still remain within the scope of the invention. If the elbowrests 18 are not permanently mounted, they would be attached to thedevice 10 using a means of removable attachment to the support belt 26.As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the elbow rests 18 are depicted asadjustable elbow rests 18A which are shown attached to the support beltstructure 26A by the means of the hook fastening surface 32 and loopfastening surface 34 to allow means for vertical and horizontal andangular adjustment which is inherent when using hook and loop fabricfasteners for such attachments. Consequently, the device 10 provides theuser with elbow support from the elbow rests 18 which when provided asremovable adjustable elbow rests 18A and 18B can be easily adjusted tofit the body and working environment of every user. The fastenersattaching the elbow rests 18A and 18B to the support belt 26 wouldtherefore provide one or a plurality of means for adjustment including ameans for horizontal adjustment, a means for vertical adjustment, and ameans for angular adjustment of the individual elbow rests 18A and 18B.While a removable mount with hook and loop fabric is the preferred meansfor attachment of the elbow rests 18A and 18B to the support belt 26 inits various embodiments, the adjustable elbow rests 18A and 18B could bemounted in fixed positions or with other attachment means such as snapstyle fasteners or brackets to the support belt structure 26A and stillremain within the scope of this invention. An optional elbow restdepression 36 or a depression 36 that is temporarily formed in aviscoelastic temperature sensitive foam, may be added to the adjustableelbow rests 18A for an especially comfortable support of the elbow ofthe individual using the device.

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of an alternate preferred embodimentof the chair mounted support system 10B with the added shoulder straps38 and 40 attached by the means of the side squeeze buckles 24. Asdepicted in FIG. 1, these shoulder straps 38 and 40 can be attached atthe front of the support belt structure 26A and communicate to anattachment on the sides of the support belt structure 26A or at the backto the straps 42 and 44. Addition of the shoulder straps 38 and 40 wouldbe an optional component that can be attached to relieve the downwardpressure on the support belt structure 26A when resting the elbows onthe adjustable elbow rests 18A or 18B.

This depicted embodiment of the chair mounted support system 10B alsoretains the support belt structure 26A that is composed of a centralreinforced back element 27 to be held adjacent to the chair backrest 20and the left side element 28 and the right side element 30 (as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5). The left side element 28 and right side element 30 alsoconsist of a semi-flexible material with substantial padding 31 andconventional hook fastening surface 32 engaging loop fastening surface34 in the front.

FIG. 4 depicts a flat pattern layout of the support belt structure 26Aof a separate preferred embodiment of the chair mounted system 10A and10B while FIG. 5 depicts a flat pattern layout of the support beltstructure 26B of the chair mounted support system 10A and 10B with theaddition of a thigh relief 48 on both sides. Both of these support beltstructures 26A and 26B are composed of a central reinforced back element27 to be held to the chair backrest 20 or other chair attached supportused for attachment and the left side element 28 and the right sideelement 30. The left side element 28 and right side element 30 alsoconsist of a semi-flexible material preferably with substantial padding31 and an adjustable means to attach the distal ends of the sideelements shown in the form of hook fastening surface 32 loop fasteningsurface 34 in the front.

FIG. 6 depicts a perspective view of a third alternate embodiment of thechair mounted support system 10C with the added torso support unit 50and the adjustable elbow supports 18A exploded to the sides. This thirdalternate embodiment of the chair mounted support system 10C willconsist of a support belt structure 26C having the central reinforcedback element 27 held to the chair backrest 20 and the left side element26B and the right side element 30B. The left side element 28B and rightside element 30B also consist of a semi-flexible material preferablywith substantial padding 31 and means to adjustably attach the distalends of the side elements shown as conventional hook fastening surface32 on the inside of each distal end.

The addition of the torso support unit 50 allows for a greateradjustment of waist sizes of the individuals 12 using the device. Thetorso support unit consists of a belt 52 and a means of attachment ofthe belt 52 around the torso of a user shown as side squeeze buckles 24.The frontal section of the torso support unit 50 is comprised of a torsosupport 54 attached at either side to the belt 52 with an elastic insert56 in the central lower section to relieve excessive pressure in thearea of the groin while retaining the support in the area of the ribcage. The torso support unit 50 will have a loop fastening surface 34 oneither side to match the hook fastening surface 32 on the insides of thedistal ends of left side element 28B and the right side element 30B. Theadjustable elbow rests 18A and 18B will attach to the sides of the leftside element 28B and the right side element 30B as they do in the otherembodiments of the chair mounted lumbar and trapezius support system 10Aand 10B. This embodiment would be especially useful for individuals witha larger waist or for those who need additional frontal torso support.

All of the embodiments of the device 10 shown and described herein canbe attached to the chair 14 using a tether. This tether can be a meansof attachment that is substantially stable using mounting straps 22which hold the support belt 26 immediately adjacent to the chair 20, orshould more forward movement be desired, a flexible support 46 can beadded to the means of attachment of the support belt 26 to the chair 14.FIGS. 1 and 8 depict the attachment to the chair with the individualoccupying the device 10. In cases where the user needs to constantlylean forward, it may be more desirous to provide a strap 42 of a fixedlength to match the distance of forward lean, or it might be desirableto provide a flexible support 46 which would provide a means of rearwardbias to the support belt 26. This would allow the user to lean forwardwith the added support of the flexible support 46, thus aiding the userin their forward lean to help prevent injury of strain or exhaustion ofthe back muscles that leaning can cause.

It therefore must be understood at this time that all the embodiments ofthe chair mounted lumbar and trapezius support system 10A, 10B, 10C, and10D, may be permanently or temporarily affixed to the chair 14 of anyoffice style chair 14 either as an integral part of the chair 14, orusing an attachment to the chair 14 such as straps 22, or using anelongated attachment such as strap 42, or using a flexible support 46 orcombinations thereof as the comfort of the user and the conditions ofthe work to be done require. Further, the adjustable elbow rests 18A maybe permanent or removable and optionally adjustable as to any of angle,horizontal position, vertical position, in any of the embodiments of thedevice as the use of the user may dictate.

FIG. 7 depicts a perspective view of the right side of an alternateembodiment of the adjustable elbow rest 18B that will pivot outwardlyfrom the back. This alternate embodiment of the adjustable elbow rests18B has a mounting plate 58 with the loop fastening surface 34 on theback and the rest member 60 pivoting outwardly from the back edge 62 ofthe mounting plate 56 by the means of the hinge mechanism 64. The leftside of the adjustable elbow rest 18B will be a mirror image of theright side. The hinge mechanism 62 could be at the front of theadjustable elbow rest 18B allowing the adjustable elbow rests 18B topivot from the front, or have a double hinge mechanism pivoting fromboth the front and back. Using this rotational engagement of the elbowrest 18B with its mount to any of the support belts 26 would provide ameans of adjustment of the distance of the elbow rest 18B from theoutside surface of the support belt 26 should the user need to place hiselbow further from his side during use of the device 10.

FIG. 8 depicts a side elevation of an individual 12 sitting in aconventional office chair 14 leaning forward with a flexible support 46between the chair backrest 20 and the embodiments of the chair mountedlumbar and trapezius support system 10A, 10B, 10C, or 10D. A separateset of chair backrest straps 66 or some other means of attachment of afastener such as squeeze buckle 24 to the chair will be required toattach the flexible support 46 to the side squeeze buckle 24 on thestrap 42. This or any of the other means of attachment of the supportbelt 26 to the chair 14 can be used as the comfort of the user and thejob dictate.

FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of an additional preferred embodimentof the disclosed support system 10D featuring a support plate 80 toprovide abdominal support to the wearer similar to that of torso support54. However the support plate 80A would be substantially rigid and, asshown in a top view in FIG. 10 of the support plate 80A, it would have afront surface 82 and a pad 84 attached to the opposite rear surface. Asshown in FIG. 11, on the front surface 82 would be a means foradjustable attachment of the distal ends of the support belt to thefront surface 82 of the support plate 80 shown in the form of hook orloop fabric 86 configured to operatively engage the opposite hook orloop fabric 88 on the inside of the distal ends of the support belt 26.FIG. 12 is a rear view of the support plate showing a curved detent andslots as a means of attachment to the support belt. This removableengagement using the hook and loop fastener fabric of the support plate80 with the support belt 26 also allows a means for vertical andhorizontal adjustment of the attachment of the support plate 80 to thesupport belt 26.

FIG. 12 shows an alternate embodiment of the support plate 80B which hasa protrusion 90 to allow for the anatomy of the user, and while it couldmount to the support belt 26 much the same as support plate 80A, it isshown configured for a mount that would not engage in a mount with thesupport belt 26 but would instead attach around the torso of the userusing a belt 52 through slots 92 in a mount to the user similar to thatof the torso support 54 in FIG. 6. FIG. 13 is a smaller embodiment ofthe support plate 80 b with a smaller protrusion 96.

FIG. 14 depicts an additional preferred embodiment of the elbow supportmeans similar to that of FIG. 7 in that it swivels on a hinge mechanism64, thereby providing a means for adjustment of the distance of theelbow rest depression from the side of the support belt 26. Thisembodiment would provide a pad 70 made from a soft material such asrubber or foam and having a depression 36 formed therein to provide anelbow support.

FIG. 15 shows a furniture article 110 in accordance with the presentinvention. As shown, the furniture article 110 includes a chair 112having a substantially flat seat portion 114 and a backrest portion 116.It can be further seen that a connector portion 118 is provided toconnect the backrest portion 116 to the seat portion 114. Continuingwith FIG. 15, it can be seen that the furniture article 110 includes abelt member 120 that is permanently attached to the backrest portion116. Specifically, the end 122 of the belt member 120 is connected to avertical side of the backrest portion 116. The belt member 120 extendsfrom the backrest portion 116 to an end 124. As shown in FIG. 15, thefurniture article 110 further includes a belt member 126 that issubstantially similar to the belt member 120. As with the belt member120, the belt member 126 is permanently attached to the backrest portion116. Specifically, the end 128 of the belt member 120 is connected to avertical side of the backrest portion 116. Similarly to the belt member120, the belt member 126 extends from the backrest portion 116 to an end130.

For the implementation shown in FIG. 15, the belt members 120 and 126are made of a flexible material and are sewn onto the backrest 116 ofthe chair 112. It can be seen that a plurality of hooks 132 ispositioned on the belt member 120 near its end 124. Further, a pluralityof loops 134 is positioned on the belt member 126 near its end 130. Withthis structure, the loops 134 can be engaged with the hooks 132 toconfigure the belt members 120 and 126 as a support for restraining thetorso of a person (not shown) while sitting on the seat portion 114 ofthe chair 112 as the person leans forward in a direction away from thebackrest portion 116 of the chair 112. Cross-referencing FIG. 15 withFIG. 1, it can be understood that, when connected to form the support,the belt members 120 and 126 are substantially parallel to the seatportion 114 of the chair 112. Further, it can be understood that, whenconnected, the belt members 120 and 126 cross at or under the rib cageof the seated person.

Referring to FIG. 16, an alternate embodiment of the furniture article110 is shown in accordance with the present invention. Similar to thefurniture article 110 of FIG. 15, the furniture article 110 in FIG. 16is shown including a chair 112 having a seat portion 114 and a backrestportion 116 that are connected together by a connector portion 118.Continuing with FIG. 16, it can be seen that the furniture article 110includes a belt member 120 that is permanently, and retractably,attached to the backrest portion 116. Specifically, the end 122 of thebelt member 120 is mounted on a retracting device 136 inside thebackrest portion 116. As shown, the retracting device 136 includes acapstan 138 rotatably mounted within the backrest portion 116. The end122 of the belt member 120 is mounted on the capstan 138 and the capstan138 is tensioned to rotate. During rotation of the capstan 138, the beltmember 120 is wound up so that only the end 124 of the belt member 120extends out from the backrest portion 116.

As further shown in FIG. 16, the furniture article 110 includes a beltmember 126 that is substantially similar to the belt member 120. As withthe belt member 120, the belt member 126 is permanently, andretractably, attached to the backrest portion 116. Specifically, the end128 of the belt member 126 is mounted on a retracting device 140 insidethe backrest portion 116. As shown, the retracting device 140 includes acapstan 142 rotatably mounted within the backrest portion 116. The end128 of the belt member 126 is mounted on the capstan 142 and the capstan142 is tensioned to rotate. During rotation of the capstan 142, the beltmember 126 is wound up so that only the end 130 of the belt member 126extends out from the backrest portion 116.

For the implementation shown in FIG. 16, the belt members 120 and 126are made of a flexible material and include a plurality of hooks and aplurality of loops, respectively, to allow the belt members 120 and 126to be configured to support the torso of a person (not shown) seated inthe chair 112. More specifically, the exposed ends 124, 130 of the beltmembers 120, 126 can be grasped and pulled so that the belt members 120,126 are unwound from the capstans 138, 142. Then the belt members 120,126 are connected and configured to restrain and provide support to thetorso of a seated person when the person leans forward, away from thebackrest portion 116.

While the retracting devices 136, 140 are disclosed as includingrotatable capstans 138, 142, any type of means for retracting the beltmembers 120, 126 are contemplated for use within the scope of theinvention.

While the particular device with torso support system and correspondingmethods of use as herein shown and disclosed in detail are fully capableof obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein beforestated, it is to be understood that they are merely illustrative of thepresently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitationsare intended to the details of construction or design herein shown otherthan as described in the appended claims.

1. A furniture article having an integral torso support system, thefurniture article comprising: a chair having a substantially flat seatportion and a backrest portion; a belt segment having a first end and asecond end, the first end being permanently attached to the chair; abelt portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal endbeing permanently attached to the chair; a coupling member comprising aplurality of hooks attached to the second end of the belt segment; aretracting member mounted in the backrest portion and connected to thefirst end of the belt segment, the retracting member being tensioned toretract the second end of the belt segment toward the backrest portion;a retracting unit mounted in the backrest portion and connected to theproximal end of the belt portion, the retracting unit being tensioned toretract the distal end of the belt portion toward the backrest portion;and a coupling unit comprising a plurality of loops attached to thedistal end of the belt portion with the coupling unit engaging thecoupling member to configure the belt segment and the belt portion as asupport configured to be substantially parallel to the seat portion forrestraining a torso of a person sitting on the seat portion of the chairas the person leans forward in a direction away from the backrestportion of the chair.
 2. A furniture article as recited in claim 1wherein the belt segment and the belt portion are made of a flexiblematerial.
 3. A furniture article as recited in claim 1 wherein the beltsegment and the belt portion are formed with an outer layer of padding.4. A furniture article having an integral torso support system, thefurniture article comprising: a chair having a seat portion and abackrest portion; a belt segment having a first end and a second end,the first end being permanently attached to the backrest portion of thechair to extend the belt segment therefrom; a belt portion having aproximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being permanentlyattached to the backrest portion of the chair to extend the belt portiontherefrom; a retracting member mounted in the backrest portion andconnected to the first end of the belt segment, the retracting memberbeing tensioned to retract the second end of the belt segment toward thebackrest portion; a retracting unit mounted in the backrest portion andconnected to the proximal end of the belt portion, the retracting unitbeing tensioned to retract the distal end of the belt portion toward thebackrest portion; and a means for encircling the torso of a personsitting on the seat portion of the chair with the backrest portion, beltsegment, and belt portion, by engaging the second end of the beltsegment directly to the distal end of the belt portion to restrain atorso of the person as the person leans forward in a direction away fromthe backrest portion of the chair.
 5. A furniture article as recited inclaim 4 wherein a coupling member attached to the belt segment at thesecond end and a coupling unit attached to the belt portion at thedistal end provide a means for engaging the second end of the beltsegment directly to the distal end of the belt portion.
 6. A furniturearticle as recited in claim 5 wherein the coupling member comprises aplurality of hooks and the coupling unit comprises a plurality of loops.7. A furniture article as recited in claim 4 wherein the belt segmentand the belt portion are made of a flexible material.
 8. A method forsupporting a torso of a person in a seated position, the methodcomprising the steps of: providing a chair having a seat portion and abackrest portion having an internal belt segment retracting device andan internal belt portion retracting device; permanently attaching afirst end of a belt segment to the internal belt segment retractingdevice to extend the belt segment therefrom to a second end, with thebelt segment being formed with an outer layer of padding and the secondend including a coupling member; permanently affixing a proximal end ofa belt portion to the internal belt portion retracting device to extendthe belt portion therefrom to a distal end, with the belt portion beingformed with an outer layer of padding and the distal end including acoupling unit; and engaging the coupling member with the coupling unitto configure the belt segment and the belt portion as a support systemfor restraining the torso of a person sitting on the seat portion of thechair as the person leans forward in a direction away from the backrestportion of the chair.
 9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein theengaging step is accomplished with a hook and loop fastening system. 10.A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the belt segment and the beltportion are made of a flexible material.
 11. A method as recited inclaim 8 further comprising the step of positioning the person in thechair before the engaging step.